New Forest woman, 86, gored in leg by cow

Amelia Borrelli spent a week in hospital recovering from the wound

An 86-year-old woman has told how she was attacked by a cow which gored her in the leg.

Amelia Borrelli said the animal plunged its horn into her thigh near her home in the New Forest, narrowly missing two arteries and ripping her jeans down to the ankle.

She spent a week in hospital recovering from the "very deep" wound.

Livestock owners have repeated calls for New Forest visitors to keep their distance from animals.

Ms Borrelli said the cow plunged its horn into her thigh

Ms Borrelli, from Fritham in Hampshire, said she and her dog may have inadvertently come between the cow and a calf hidden in undergrowth when she was gored on 20 July.

She said: "I saw this cow staring at me and its stance was kind of poised.

"It banged me to the ground, drew back its head and ripped my jeans from the ankle up to mid-thigh, plunged its horn into my thigh, came on up ripping my clothes."

Ms Borrelli said she struggled most of the way home before collapsing and being helped by a neighbour.

A paramedic told her the tennis ball sized wound was "very, very deep" and came within millimetres of two arteries, she said.

Livestock owners said visitors often treated the New Forest like a "petting zoo"

The New Forest Commoners Defence Association, which represents livestock owners, said visitors often treated the New Forest like a "petting zoo".

Chairman Tony Hockley said: "The behaviour of one person impacts the next person who comes along.

"If someone's dog has got too close or chased a cow with a youngster, the next dog that comes along innocently being walked may well feel the brunt of the protective mother."

The association has previously called for visitors who feed animals to be fined.

In a statement, Forestry England said: "Throughout the year our staff and volunteers speak to visitors and residents to help to encourage people to admire from a safe distance and not to feed the Forest animals."

Forestry England has placed warning signs at car parks